silverware

[pop goes the weasel]

Ok I started the purging of junk today. So far I have filled a garbage can but I found a set of silverware that I have no clue if they are silver or just everyday. On the back they say Nobility Plate with 4 crowns. I googled that and have come up with different things but none that matches mine. Anyone have a clue if they are worth anything and how you tell if they are silver or just silver plated?TIA

[2ndGenGranola]

Since it says Nobility Plate, I would assume they are plated. Tarnish is another indicator. If they were pretty much open in the drawer and don't have that black stuff all over, I would assume plated. Even when I repackage my good silver properly, I have to clean it.

[Josephhgoins]

tarnish will tell you that it is silver or not. Although if it is still sealed in plastic it may be silver/silvr plate and not tarnish. Also, in the last 10 years or so a lot fo silver manufacturer's have started plating silver with white gold to eliminate tarnish. Before that some of the finer silver was plated with a clear enamel to eliminate tarnish. Both of these will wear away with use. So if there is tarnish then silver is definately present, but if there is no tarnish then MAYBE it is.

You wanna know a cheat?

Send it to cash4gold. you can go online and get the info and it will tell you if it is silver or not. If you don't want to accept their offer you reject it and they send your goods back to you.

I have some silver plate pieces and some solid silver pieces, I can't tell a difference with my naked eye and I am a trained jeweler.

If it is from the UK you can check out mint marks, but the UK is the only country that uses these.

You may also be able to bring it to your local jewelry store and ask their advise, but be leary if they tell you it is worth little and then offer to buy it from you.

Good luck and Congratulations on your find!

[pop goes the weasel]

This is tarnished and what I found online is that Nobility Plate is made by Oneida. I just couldn't get the pages I wanted to load p roperly. I thought maybe I'd take it into one of the shops in town and see what they say. Thanks

[CrazyHomemaker]

If it says 'plate' it is plate. Don't think it isn't worth something, though. You can get a hefty resale price for nicely plated silverware. I have an Oneida silverplate server (got it at Goodwill for $1.99!) and it is a great piece. Costs a lot if found at a regular department store.

A lot of times you can tell if something is silverplate or sterling. Sterling tends to be heavier because more will be needed to make a piece so it won't bend or break. Also, there will be a hallmark on the back of sterling silver.

Plate will still have tarnish. If no tarnish, then it's probably stainless or pewter. Pewter gets a cast to it, but it will clean up nicely. You can definitely tell the difference between stainless and pewter.

Take it to the nearest jeweler who specializes in insurance appraisals. You just may be nicely surprised! In the mean time, treat your find like sterling.

[mom21]

Is this it?

Go to acquiretastesflatware.com and search for oneida-nobility-caprice

If so it looks like it is silver plate. Sorry not enough posts for a link as I'm a lurker.